Strappingly Handsome

I completely love, love, love this new bag from Anthropologie! Check out the rich brown leather with sequin straps....it's a perfect mix of masculine & a touch of girly! I just am so blown away by how great it is. So amazing for autumn.....

On an outside note, our hydrangea bush bloomed about a month late this season but it now looks really full and pretty....lots of pretty pink flowers. It's a welcome July addition to the garden and viewable from the kitchen which is the best part.

Love how hardy the Purple Coneheads are....such happy flowers!

Break In The Rain

It was crazy rainy here yesterday....close down roads, divert traffic rainy. But today it's in the high 60's and  sunny so I'm planting a bit. I love fresh herbs. I previously potted lemon thyme, sweet basil, rosemary and cilantro. Yesterday I found some orange mint so I just potted that now...perfect for iced tea. I love saving old tins and things to plant in...they sort give my potting area some texture and color. I'm getting a little addicted to gardening this year. Happy Weekend! xo

Perfect Afternoon

I love a breezy day reading on the patio...a simple lunch outside and iced tea. I had yarn delivered today. Over the past weekend I came across Tahki Jackson yarn that had been discontinued....in both the silver that I'm currently using for a deliciously over-sized cowl... as well as a warm copper & brown color.  I purchased three skeins of the brown....so excited for a new project!

Delivered today...love this wool yarn!

It seems that there are plants blooming in the yard that have not bloomed in several summers. Next to the patio drapes the prettiest tall bush....I love these dense white flowers! A bit similar to the peonies we have...these though grow more abundantly and reach about six feet high.

New Day

The weather here has been beautiful and sunny after a rather chilly, snowy start to our spring! I've been decorating our front porch with new planters and cushions. Last year I bought a great outdoor area rug from Ballard Designs and I love it. We have pretty perennials blooming around our front tree....it's such a fresh & colorful time.

I've been trying to eat better this spring as well. More than any other time of the year, I find spring a great reminder to eat fresh and local. I've cut out a lot of processed food and sodium and feel so much better. I love raw, unsalted almonds and have started snacking on them regularly. So many health benefits for your heart and skin. They reduce spikes in your blood sugar and almonds regulate your blood pressure because they are high in potassium.

Lastly, I can't get my mind off the new tote I saw on Lex & Lynne.
This Vintage Julia Burlap Tote is just so unique. I love the knitted leather detailing along the sides and the straps are great....you can custom select your own color. So great for spring & summer outings! xo

Perfectly Pretty

I had a good friend come for lunch yesterday and she brought flowers. A tiny petite vase filled with a great mix of eclectic spring blooms. I just love these!
  

Making banana bread today. I love being home alone, baking & listening to music... and then how yummy the house smells later in the afternoon when the girls return from school. My newest tiny purchase for the kitchen: these colorful, ceramic measuring spoons from Chantal. They are non-porous and beautifully glazed. Such a great alternative to plastic or metal.

I've been addicted to listening to all the tracks from "Songs From the West Coast" by Elton John on my iPad. The entire CD is amazing. It came out a bunch of years ago and I loved it then but I just found it on an old play list and I had forgotten just how great it is.